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Pull the plug

Pull the plug

Meaning

Bring something to an end.

Examples

The new government prefer to spend on defence. They’ve pulled the plug on all new welfare spending.

Where did it originate?

USA, early 20th century. The allusion was to pulling an electrical plug out of its socket.

Where is it used?

Worldwide.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Pull the plug

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